Living in the Moment
by TheFlamingAllah
Summary: Artemis develops feelings for Holly.
1. GET ON WITH IT!

**Chapter 1: Get On With It!**

As Juliet, Butler, Holly, and Angeline gathered around a huge lounge table, they grew impatient, waiting for a very late Artemis. Juliet was keeping herself busy, however, as she was drawing pictures of herself doing a body slam to some of the World's most famous wrestlers. Butler who was naturally sitting next to her, took a look at some of the drawings and remembered meeting a few of them. _They look so tough in person, but under my sister, they look helpless. _A phrase Butler never thought he'd think of admitting. Holly slouched in her chair, which was already occupied with 2 encyclopedias to boost her up to the table. Although she'd never admit it, she was developping a crush on Artemis. Ever since the events in Rathdowne Park, she realized that she had feelings for Artemis. No matter what, she'd always deny them to anybody else, but she felt as though she could no longer deny them to herself.

_I do like him... we've been through so much together. When he kidnapped me, I thought he was just another criminal out to get at the LEP. But then, he offered to return half of the gold in return for his mother's health. Despite our attempts to get the gold back, Artemis won it from us. I thought he was going to use it like any other criminal would; on cars, TVs, Computers, whatever... turns out, he used the other half of the gold to get his father back... Ever since I helped him then, I realized he was at least a halfway decent Mud Boy. It almost killed me to mind wipe him... I couldn't stand thinking that I would never get to see Artemis again. But then... after what Opal did... I needed Arty's help at that point. I realized our mind wipe effectively made him go back to his old criminal ways. He seemed cold again. Then, he remembered everything... he even apologized for kidnapping me. I had to hold myself back from crying at that point. And Hybras... that was a strange adventure. I remember when Arty almost died in Rathdown Park... without thinking, I was starting to cry. When I healed him, it was the happiest I'd have ever been. I was so glad to know he was alive! Everything's just so overwhelming... I don't know what to do! I think I like him... no... I know I like him. But what can I do about it? He's from a different species! He's at least twice my size! And what if he doesn't like me back? Is it worth risking embarrassment? I wish he'd just give me some sign..._

Just then, Artemis Fowl II walked into the room casually, whistling very nonchalantly. Holly, deciding to think differently for a second, gave Artemis a frustrated gaze.

"Arty...Artemis! Where were you? We've been waiting for half an hour!" snapped Holly. Artemis shot Holly a smile. Different from his usual vampire-like smile.

"Holly, I've discovered something very extraordinary. In fact, I think you might just be interested in what I have discovered," stated Artemis, maintaining his smile through his words. This grabbed Holly's attention. She always knew Artemis had been an epic genius, but she was certain that he would have to eventually run out of discoveries at some point.

"Alright, Artemis. What have you discovered?" inquired Holly, hoping this was good. The question hung in the air for a moment, and in that time, Holly examined Artemis. _What is it about him that I love so much? _

She surveyed his features. Pale white skin was generally considered a turn off among the People, due to the fact that it looks so out of place from the rest of their darker toned skin. Yet, she found herself attracted to this feature. This wasn't what made her fawn over him though. She recognized his height, much too tall for fairies. Yet, it intrigued her. _I wonder if... _This thought was trailed off by her realization of where she was. Finally, she met her eyes with his. Eyes identical to hers. Eyes filled not only with love, but with an epic story of all the stuff they had gone through together. Running from the trolls in the 11 Wonders... Running after the radioactive train in the Arctic... She even remembered the moment they both realized they had swapped eyes. One too big for the other, one too small for the other. Bonded by a recognizable feature, she realized that it was after all that she had been through with Artemis that had made her so attracted to him. Now, she just needed to find out if this was worth pursuing.

"I, with no outside help whatsoever, have come up with the conclusion..." Artemis paused, realizing that what he was about to say next would shock them all. Angeline, having said nothing this whole time, decided to finally speak up after about a minute of awkward silence, which, in Juliet's mind, registered as 60 newborn gay babies. At the age of 22, she still has the mind of a child. Something Butler appreciated in a very small way.

"Well what is it, Arty?" Questioned Angeline Fowl, realizing she might be missing her soaps.

"...this may shock you all... are you sure you're -" Artemis was then cut off, by the roaring sound of everyone saying "GET ON WITH IT!" in unison.

"Alright... I have discovered... that I am out of shape," Artemis said bluntly. The result was 4 facepalms across the table, with something similar and different at the same time going through everyone's mind.

_After being a bodyguard to Artemis for 15...18... many years now, you would think Artemis would have realized that he is not in any above average physical condition. Whenever I try to train him, he gets exhausted, and calls it quits. _Butler's thoughts were filled with small chuckles here and there.

_ Seriously? It took him THAT long to realize that? Ever since Artemis hit puberty, I realized he wouldn't ever be the 'Jock' kind of kid. No mystery there... and they call him a genius? _Juliet remained in tactical facepalm position.

_My little Arty boy finally caught on! Hopefully he'll start working out soon! Butler's become less mobile because of his healing some years ago... he might be able to defend me whenever Butler passes on. _Angeline began to think cheerful thoughts, including ones where she simply listed off the potential benefitting factors to Artemis buffing up.

_Did Arty lose a bit of IQ from the last mindwipe? Because it's pretty obvious that he's not in shape... wait a minute... _Holly realized what Artemis was doing. She realized that he was trying to make a small attempt at humor. "Nice one, Arty!" Holly exclaimed. Artemis was glad to see that Holly had caught on. He produced another smile. _His smile... it's not so... vampirish. I like it. It's more friendly_

"In case anyone didn't realize, that was an attempt at humor, as it is quite obvious that I am out of shape, and the journey along the way has only further proven that. Me simply stating that I am out of shape, and treating it as though it is news to everyone is the joke, for it obviously isn't news at all," generally, Artemis loathed having to explain himself, but this time, he did so with that smile still on his face. "I have decided that despite the endless hours of pain and torture from the task, I shall train with Butler. I shall work out with him on a consistent basis, and maintain a proper diet. I plan to shape up by the end of summer." All this did was shock everyone

"Wait, lemme get this straight," said Juliet, with a typical look someone would give someone else if they thought they were crazy. "You're gonna buff up?" Asked Juliet in a very blunt, and laughable way.

"Yes," stated Artemis. He delivered the affirmation with a look of beaming pride on his face, only to quickly fade away from the abundance of laughter that pursued. Artemis did honestly feel a bit hurt. He sulked and looked down. He stared at the patterns in the carpet that covered the floor. When he looked up, he saw that everyone was still laughing. Everyone except Holly. She seemed to have a concentrated look on her face, almost as if she was giving something of great importance an epic amount of thought, mixed in with a look of disagreement with the rest of the still laughing group. Artemis recognized this, and smiled shyly at Holly, quickly realizing he was still being laughed at. He proceeded to blush, and storm off into the hallway, up the stairs, and into his bedroom.

Holly was disappointed in how everyone reacted to Artemis' proposal, as she had faith that he would be able to comply. She could remember her own days of school, where she was teased for being 1 centimetre shorter than the average height. As soon as laughter erupted the living room, she instantly felt empathy and sympathy for the Mud Boy, making her all the more attracted to him.


	2. Dream On

**Chapter 2: Dream On**

It had been 3 days since anyone had seen much of Artemis, which made everyone a bit worried. The house almost seemed empty without him. Several years ago, it wouldn't have mattered if he was gone, as all he ever did was sit in front of a computer researching the People and looking for any news on his father's potential rescue. Now, the house seemed lively as long as Artemis was in it. He'd always spend time with his little brothers, Beckett and Myles, and he'd attempt to teach them anything he was willing to give out. He kept in contact with Holly as much as he could, using the communicator she gave him a few years back, and they'd talk even if it was just socially. They'd check up on each other daily, just to see how the other was doing. Artemis also spent more time with his mother and father, especially his mother, as they now shared the secret of the People.

Holly decided she had better go looking for Artemis. She very much doubted that he would run away, so she wandered around Fowl Manor looking for him. She didn't bother doing a thermal scan, as she felt it was unnecessary because she felt it wasn't urgent that she find him immediately. She realized that he would be off on his own somewhere on Fowl Grounds. She also felt that she could use the time alone on her way to find him to think about her newly discovered feelings for Artemis.

_It's odd, recently I've been talking to Artemis about any problems I've had, and now one of my problems is that I like him! I don't know who to talk to about this... Could I talk to Foaly? Would he care? Or know what to do for the matter? How about Butler? No, there's a chance he could tell Artemis... Maybe Juliet? Probably not, I have the feeling that she's a huge gossip. Maybe Angeline? Could she keep a secret? Would she know what to do? _Her trail of thought was cut off when she heard some grunting, that was being covered by the sound of David Bowie music. She followed the music and grunting, and it led her to a large door. _I wonder what he could be doing in there... What's with the grunting? What if he's... _

Before she could stop herself to think, she immediately opened the door. She saw an exhausted Artemis, lying down on a bench press. _He's actually working out! _She thought. She walked over to him, shooting him a smile along the way.

"I can't believe it! Artemis! You're working out! I knew you'd do it!" She excitedly exclaimed. She promptly gave him a hug and sat down next to him.

"Holly, I'm a man of business. I stick to my word," he explained. He gave her a smile. _That smile... _Holly returned the smile.

"So, how much are you benching?" She asked, knowing perfectly well what the answer was.

"...15 lbs," hesitantly answered Artemis, expecting Holly to laugh at him, getting ready to blush. Instead, she smiled at him, giving a very relaxed mood. _Is she acting different? _Artemis thought.

"That's really good, Arty!"

_Arty._

"It's a good place to start off on for Humans, and it takes a pretty well toned fairy to reach up to that weight!" She explained, knowing that it would give him some confidence. Artemis smiled at her. His eyes met hers, and for a second, he almost forgot what he was doing.

"Really? Well, I was just about to add more weight," explained Artemis, attempting to show off a bit. Holly _had_ to see this. Just then the song switched to _Dream On _By _Aerosmith. _It occured to the both of them that that was quite a coincidence. Artemis got up from the bench, and picked up a 5 lb weight, almost falling to the floor with it.

"Need help?" Asked Holly, laughing to herself on the inside.

"Hey, I got this!" Exclaimed Artemis. He proceeded to place it on the end of the barbell, and sat back down on the bench. Holly immediately realized what he did wrong.

"Arty, I thought you were smarter than that! You do realize that will make the bar uneven in weight, right?" Questioned Holly. It felt weird to outsmart a boy genius, in such a simple thing, too.

_Arty_

"Oh..." continued Artemis. "I guess I just wasn't thinking," he then laughed a bit, picking up another 5 lb weight with a little less effort, and placed it onto the barbell. He then sat down on the bench. Holly stood up from the bench, eager to see how he'd do. He now had 25 lbs in total to bench. Artemis lay under the barbell, with a large amount of confidence stirring inside his head. _I can do this, I can do this... I gotta prove to Holly that I can do this! _He proceeded to raise his hands, and grasped the bar. He then brought it off its stand, and lowered it to his chest. The bar almost sank to his chest.

_Sing with me, sing for the year, sing for the laughter, sing for the tears. _

With great effort, Artemis proceeded to slowly raise the bar, inch by inch, veins feeling like they're about to pop, until his arms were at full extent. _That wasn't too hard! _He proceeded to inhale through his nose as he lowered the bar, determined to do it at least 14 more times. He continued, gradually being able to do each rep more efficiently, until about his 7th rep, where his progress started to get harder and harder.

_Dream On, Dream On, Dream On, Dream until the Dream come true!_

He got to his 14th rep, and with a lot of effort, was able to make the last rep, before dropping the bar as if it was on fire.

_Dream On! Dream On! Dream On! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! _

It naturally landed on his chest, knocking most of the wind out of him, and proceeded to roll towards his neck. Holly, immediately realizing this, quickly picked the bar up, put it on its stand, and went to Artemis.

"Arty!" She exclaimed. She quickly proceeded to check for any injuries. His ribs were broken, and he was gasping for air. Holly placed her hands on his chest.

"Heal," she quickly said. His were re-attached and his breathing was regular again. He began to gasp for air again, and he turned his head to look at Holly. Their eyes met. He could have sworn he saw tears in the corner of her eyes.

"D'Arvit, Artemis! You could have killed yourself! Be more careful! I won't always be around here to make sure you don't do that, you know!" She turned away quickly, wiping tears from her eyes. _I can't let Artemis see me like this! He'll know something's up! _She made sure that he couldn't see what she was doing. Artemis felt bad, and he wanted to re-assure her.

"I'm sorry, Holly. I didn't expect it to crush me. I'll be more careful next time..." He hoped that his words would either comfort her, or calm her down.

"You better be, Arty! I don't know what I'd do if..." She trailed off, realizing what she was about to say.

"If what?" Abruptly asked Artemis. She had to think on her feet, she couldn't let him know that she liked him! She prayed for something to save her from the moment; Butler calling them, Foaly contacting her, the house catching on fire, a car bomb exploding - anything! But nothing came. She wasn't ready to find out, yet.

"What if you died doing this? And what if the LEP needed you, and you couldn't help, because you were dead due to a barbell falling on your chest?" Rhetorically asked Holly quickly, hoping that Artemis didn't take what she said the wrong way. Artemis hoped that Holly had some form of feelings towards him, as he had recently been having feelings for her, due to his puberty coming a little late. But that was not what this question showed, this question showed that she wasn't going to admit any intimate feelings towards him any time soon. He felt disappointed almost. He remained confident, though, and convinced himself that she wanted to admit feelings for him, just not now.

"Don't worry about me, Holly," Artemis realized the irony of the whole debaccle. "I'm doing this so you don't have to worry about me," he explained. He felt as though she had something bigger than just his health on her mind.

Holly smiled at Artemis. "Arty... I care for you... Just try not to hurt yourself," she said. She began to grow worrisome, and decided it would probably be best if she led Artemis away from the gym for a while. She turned off the radio, in the middle of a song that Artemis would never admit to liking. _Bad Romance_

"C'mon Arty, I'm pulling you out of gym class for a while. Let's go get something to eat," she smiled at him again, and he quickly returned it.

"I actually think I'm done working out for the day, Holly. I'm going to get changed. This gym attire does not suit me," said Artemis, while he ran to the changeroom. She stood there, trying to process what had just happened.

"Why do I like him so much?" she asked herself, almost in a whispering tone. She hoped that one of two things would happen; 1) She would move on from this ridiculous feeling, realizing that it was just a crush, or 2) She would get what her heart had been beckoning from her. Her mind seemed to wander more and more into the thought of her and Artemis being together, whether it would it work out, whether they would truly love each other...


	3. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REACH THAT!

**Chapter 3: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REACH THAT?**

Artemis took off his muscle shirt in the change room, wondering if he would be able to actually accomplish this task. This was the largest amount of excercise he had ever voluntarily performed, and it was very difficult... for him, anyways. As he took off his shorts, he wondered what Holly thought about the whole thing. He was about to put on his pants, when he realized it would probably be best if he took a shower. He did just work out, after all. He took off his boxers, and threw them in a pile with the rest of his clothes. He walked over to the shower section of the changeroom. He tried to calculate exactly how many times he had used the gym and changeroom overall, or been in them, for that matter. He could only think of times where he needed to find Butler, or when Butler had tried to train him before. He turned on the water, and the thought crossed his mind for the 3rd time that day, if his motivation behind all of this was actually just to impress Holly. He continuously denied it, and if he had told anyone about the thought crossing his mind, they would say he was in denial. He stood under the water stream, and it rushed down his body. The sound of the running water somewhat calmed him. It almost seemed as though it helped him think. _What if I really am in denial? What if this really was all just to impress Holly? _His mind gave into his hearts offensive emotions, and he finally felt as though he couldn't put off admitting it any longer. He looked down at his body, surveying how weak it looked. A thought crossed his mind that made him wonder if he was weaker than his mother. He immediately realized that's not possible, but an unusual stream of low self-confidence told him otherwise. _I hate you, puberty. One moment, I'm superior to everybody else, the other, I am just a small ant in comparison to everyone around me. I really do await the day I am rid of your treacherous ways. _He went through the usual body washing routine. He took a bar of soap, and rubbed it throughout various parts of his body. At one point, the bar of soap slipped from his hands and went flying across the room. It hit a fall and fell to the floor, sliding all the way back to Artemis. He bent down to pick it up, immediately remembering the day he learned about prisoner stereotypes. It almost made him shudder. He continued to lather himself in soap, then rinsed his body down. He then proceeded to soak his hair, applying shampoo to it afterwards. After he had rinsed it out, he turned off the water, dried himself off, and proceeded to put his boxers on. His dress pants then followed, along with his black button down dress shirt, along with his blazer and tie. He began to think that maybe he should stop wearing suits everywhere he goes. He could have sworn he heard a far off Barney Stinson shun him.

As Holly was waiting in the gym, she wondered what was taking Artemis so long. She was leaning against a wall, near a basket of basketballs. She picked one up, wondering what to do with it. She almost forgot about the course she took when she was in High School about Human Behavior and activites. She remembered some of it coming back to her. The game of basketball was a sport played by humans for recreational or competitive uses. There were many different ways of playing basketball, but the object was to get the ball in the basket. Naturally, the team with the most points won. She remembered how humans would practice by attempting to get the ball in the net by themselves, so they could develop tactics and game plans for when they were actually playing a game. She remember how her class was forced into attempting to play it once, and she was constantly being bombarded for travelling

"_Coach, how can I dribble this massive ball? It's almost a third of my size!" _She recalled saying to her coach.

_"That's how humans play it, Short."_ She remembered hating her coach. Her teammates had told her that when humans played, they were generally pretty tall. She walked down the court with the ball, and proceeded to attempt to dribble the ball. She found it slightly easier than before, as she was certain she had more control over her motor skills now. She continued to dribble the ball, proceeding toward the net at the end of the court. When she got to it, she stopped to look up at it, flabberghasted at how high up it was.

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REACH THAT?" She yelled aloud. She backed up a bit, and decided she would try to get it in anyways. She figured this was probably a good way to kill time while waiting for Artemis. She shot the ball as high as she could, only to have it hit the rim, bounce back, and hit her in the face.

"Oomph!" She exclaimed. The ball proceeded to roll to the other end of the court. _How do humans play this game? It's far too exhausting! _She was determined to not let the ball beat her, so she ran after it, picked it up, and proceeded to dribble the ball back to the net. She stopped at about 10 feet away from the net, jumped, and shot the ball. It went through the net, without touching the rim or the backboard. _Swish! _She thought to herself, remembering the ridiculous terms humans used. She continued to play by herself for a while, when after about 8 minutes, while she was dribbling, the ball was stolen from her. She wasn't expecting that at all, and turned to see Artemis dribble the ball to the other end of the court, jumping about 7 feet from the net, forcing it into the net. _Slam dunk_ thought Holly. _Aren't humans supposed to be really tall for that?_ Holly took that time to acknowledge how tall Artemis would become.

"Arty! You're definitely getting stronger!"

_Arty_

"If you were this strong a few years ago... well... it wouldn't have changed much, but you probably would have been able to run from the trolls with no problem!" Stated Holly. Artemis felt as though his confidence in himself, and his determination actually changed how Holly thought of him, perhaps for the better. Artemis acknowledged his feelings for Holly, and he really wanted to express how he felt about her, but he had to be absolutely sure that she would reciprocate those feelings. He had no idea what he would do if she denied him. He felt like he had trailed off for too long, and decided to quickly kill the silence.

"How about that food you promised me? I'm famished!" Exclaimed Artemis.

"Hm, well I was thinking that we could have Butler whip up some subs," explained Holly. Artemis realized he was slightly tired of the same old culinary art that came from the hands of Butler, and decided he might try a fast food restaurant, even if it meant he was going to regret it. He just had to see if Holly was up for it.

"I'm actually a little bored with Fowl Manor _nourriture_, would you object to visiting a fast food place?" Asked Artemis.

"Well I think Haven's a pretty long way to go for a bite to eat," started Holly. Artemis decided to elaborate.

"I actually meant a fast food place near Fowl Manor. Like _Subway_," explained Artemis, with the same smile on his face from before, knowing perfectly well what her first concern would be. Holly tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, as a dog would when confused.

"Um, Arty, I can't really be _seen_ in public. You do remember that, right?" Asked Holly, thinking he'd gone mad in the head. Artemis chuckled in a way that didn't seem at all like him. Less intimidating.

"No, I remember clearly. I was thinking, however, that we could... well, for lack of a better word; _Disguise_ you," continued Artemis, aware that she would probably be aghast at the idea. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows raised so high that they disappeared under her auburn crew cut.

"Were you thinking of placing me in a costume? Tell everyone I'm going to a dress-up party?" Holly chuckled.

"Well..." started Artemis.

"Oh, you can't be serious!" Exclaimed Holly.

"Don't be so eager to cut me off. I wasn't finished. I was thinking something else, maybe something less demeaning," he started.

"Well, what did you have in mind?" Asked Holly.


	4. Falcon Punch

**Chapter 4 - Falcon Punch**

Artemis and Holly began to walk the streets of Dublin, people not having the ability to distinguish either of them. Neither of them looked out of place. Of course, it looked normal to any pedestrian who saw them, but it became a topic of argument between Holly and Artemis.

"D'Arvit, Artemis! Was this really necessary?" Questioned Holly, slightly frustrated with their current situation. It showed in her voice.

"Holly," Artemis started. "I just want you to experience what Mud Men food tastes like. You just might not hate it. As for the disguise, I don't think it's too bad. It makes you look cute."

_Cute? Did I really just say that? Cute? Argh! I hope she doesn't acknowledge my pathetic attempt at flirting, or complimenting her for that matter. It seemed too out of place. _Thought Artemis to himself. Holly was having semi-similar thoughts.

_Cute? Is that the first compliment from him? Not bad for a Mud Boy who hasn't exactly loved anything apart from his family_. Thought Holly. She realized that he was probably over thinking what he had just said to her, realizing he can't take it back, so she thought to herself if saying that might help him relax a bit. They both realized that this was a casual, non-official lunch date. She decided to say something else, but still attempt to achieve that effect.

"Well, you don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Casual," complimented Holly. He realized she did a much better job at compliments than him. The both of them were wearing clothing that was not at all their style, all part of a plan for casualness.

Twenty minutes earlier at Fowl Manor, Artemis had revealed his plan to Holly, who reluctantly agreed to the plan. Artemis decided to wear more casual clothing, in order to prevent any recognition along the streets. He decided to put on some jeans, a T-Shirt, and a small zip-up sweat shirt, along with casual running shoes. He knew that making Holly casual was no easy task. Her height was the main issue, but the auburn hair that stood out, along with her pointed elven ears didn't exactly help either. Artemis decided upon crowning her head with a brown-haired wig, one that was at one point used on Butler by Juliet. Butler had lost a bet to Juliet, and had to let her give him a makeover one day, thus resulting in a closet full of left over wigs, make-up, dye, perfume, and dresses. One of Artemis' most fond memories was seeing Butler cross-dressed. Artemis decided to search Juliet's old clothes from about a decade back, and managed to find some tight jeans for Holly to wear, along with a zip-up hoodie. While Artemis tried to think of an alabi, he paced the room, thinking what the most plausable scenario for a 5'5" 15 year old Irish kid out with a metre tall girl would be. He realized something that made him beam with pride in the glory of how smart he was. He dug into the closet, and managed to locate a pair of platform shoes that made her a little over a foot taller. He then asked her to stand on her tip toes in the shoes, and she raised another 6 inches, so Artemis took a pair of old high heels that his Mom had kicking around, and managed to secure them into each shoe. She now stood at about 4'10.

"Perfect!" Artemis exclaimed aloud. "With this, I'll be able to claim you as my sister, and that I am simply taking you out to eat lunch," he explained, overjoyed. He then noticed one problem with the whole situation. He stared at the problem for a few seconds with an open mouth, then proceeded to facepalm. Holly wasn't too sure what was wrong about it.

"What? What's wrong?" She hastily asked. Artemis looked shy about the whole thing, and looked up at her.

"Well..." he tried to explain to her what the problem was, but the words weren't exactly coming out of his mouth. Instead, he pointed to her chest, and she immediately inquired about the "problem."

"Okay, my breasts, what about them?" Asked Holly, a little frustrated.

"Well, if you're supposed to be my sister at a height like that, you'd be a little short, and too young to have... breasts of that size," explained Artemis. Holly proceeded to smile, amused by the fact that he was extremely nervous about the situation.

"Well, I'm sure you'd be able to pass me off as a teenager with a bit of a stunted growth. Let's not forget that you were barely this height three years ago!" Pitched Holly.

"Yeah, Holly, but that's because I hadn't hit pube-" he stopped right there, immediately realizing what he was about to say. Holly's face turned red with laughter, and his with tremendous embarrassment.

"Let's just go," blurted Artemis, trying to move past his newfound embarrassment.

Before Artemis and Holly walked into a Subway restaurant, Artemis realized he overlooked something in his plan. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to get Holly into the store, unless he asked a staff member if she could enter. He realized that may be a little too suspicious. He breathed a sigh of relief when he appraoched the store to find a sign on the front that said "Come in, we're open!" Holly inquired what the sigh was about, and he re-assured her it was nothing. Artemis felt as though there was something unrealistic about the whole situation. He decided not to let it caution him whatsoever. Artemis ordered them both a Pizza sub. Holly was intrigued by the set up of the restaurant. It definitely wasn't like the fast food facilities in the Lower Elements.

"To go, please," responded Artemis, to the cashier's question inquiring whether he would like to eat here or somewhere else. Artemis chose the latter, because he felt it might not be too good for Holly to be exposed to humans for too long. He really wanted to refrain from people asking him questions. The cashier handed Artemis the subs, so he and Holly left the store. They started for Fowl Manor.

"Do you wish to consume your sandwich presently, or in the near future?" Asked Artemis. Holly began to look at Artemis very strange.

"Arty... are you alright?" Asked Holly. He couldn't decide whether she was being serious or just making a light hearted joke. Artemis then glanced at a girl across the street. She was jogging, and wearing very tight and revealing track shorts, along with a tank top. He couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a regular bra, and not a sport's one, as her breasts were bouncing up and down. He continued to walk, but he was intensely drawn to it. He then came to the realization that he and Holly were walking together, and she might notice what he was doing. She seemed pre-occupied, however.

"Arty, are we seriously going to walk the rest of the way?" Asked Holly

_Arty._

"These platform heel things are killing my feet! If I take another step, I may just activate my shield, put on my wings, and get the Hell out of here!" Exclaimed Holly.

_How much more of this endless bitching must I take before I falcon punch this elf?_ Thought Artemis to himself. He then realized exactly what his mind had just thought about. _Falcon Punch?_ _Bitching?_ This definitely wasn't Artemis. The possibility that the whole of these events may be a dream crossed his mind for a fraction of a second, before something caught his eye. Holly was about to cross the street when a Semi sped up through the intersection.

"HOLLY!" Exclaimed Artemis as he grabbed her. "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING?" Asked Artemis. "You could have been killed!" Holly sensed a bit of trauma included in his voice. She could have sworn she heard his voice crack. She wasn't too sure whether that was puberty talking, or just because he was actually worrisome for Holly's life status.

"Arty, don't worry about me. Honestly, even if I did get hit, the magic would heal me!"

_Arty._

"Still, we wouldn't want to take chances now, would we? Besides, I couldn't stand to think what I'd do if I lost you..." Stated Artemis. _Wow, did I honestly __**just**__ say 'I couldn't stand to think what I'd do if I lost you," ? She must think I'm crazy for her... Fuck. _

"Well thanks for the consideration, Artemis, but believe me, I'm fine. I think I know how to handle myself, Arty," explained Holly.

_Arty..._

They continued back to Fowl Manor, making small talk along the way. The whole time, Artemis was focused on the reality of the situation.


	5. Detroit Rock City

**Chapter 5 - **_**Detroit Rock City**_

Holly and Artemis entered Fowl Manor. Almost immediately, Holly kicked off her strange hybrid of platform high heel shoes, and the wig Artemis made her wear to cover her Elf ears. She considered taking off the old Human clothes, but she realized she was right in front of Artemis, and decided she'd remove them later, after she had consumed her sandwich. Artemis decided to take a more casual route with the subs, as he felt it would appear a little too formal to be eating in a big dining hall with just two subs rather than an actual meal, so he decided to eat in the kitchen. As they walked in, Artemis tossed the subs on the kitchen island. He realized how rarely he would enter the kitchen, as he was usually in his study, his room, the Gym with Butler, or on some dangerous adventure. He and Holly sat opposite from each other. Artemis was very curious as to what Holly thought about the food. He unwrapped a sub, and slid it across the counter to Holly. She looked at it as if it looked like a pile of vomit. She was almost convinced it was. Artemis was still trying to decide if this was real, as he usually eats very high class food, never stuff from fast food restaurants. He realized he must have been changing, so instead of looking too much into it, something he always does, he decided to blame it on puberty and move on. He unwrapped his sub, and as watched Holly as he bit into it. She was still hesistant to even touch it.

"You know," said Artemis, as he waited to swallow the majority of his food. "It won't bite. It's also not all that bad, it's just bread, lettuce, swiss cheese, pepperoni, and marinara sauce. Give it one bite. You might just enjoy it." Holly was still unconvinced.

"It's... different... from what we eat belowground," she started. She then realized it couldn't be all that bad, so she decided to give it a try. She expected the worst, only to find it wasn't all that bad, and actually tasted like Pizza. She proceeded to eat faster, taking bigger bites. Artemis looked at her as if she had gone insane. _Aren't elves supposed to have smaller stomachs? And mouths, for that matter?_ He continued to eat at the pace he was currently eating. Holly finished her sub, and proceeded to let out a loud burp.

"That...that was _good!_" Exclaimed Holly.

"Who are you... Mulch Diggums?" Jokingly asked Artemis. Holly punched him lightly on the shoulder. She then realized something.

"Artemis... couldn't you have just ordered something? Or sent Butler to pick it up?" Asked Holly. Artemis initially wanted to rage, but then he thought of something.

"As true as that may be, Holly, I wouldn't have been able to spend time with you. Nor would you have been able to obtain the experience, for that matter," explained Artemis. Artemis tried to control his body to the best of his ability to _not _blush. He didn't know if he succeeded, but he witnessed Holly produce a smile. _So this must be what flirting is like..._ thought Artemis. He felt an abundance of embarrassment fall upon him, and hoped that she hadn't noticed. He then took the time to realize how unrealistic this all seemed. _Holly burping. Falcon Punch. Me working out__? __SUBWAY?_ _Surely, I'm in a coma._ Thought Artemis. He then decided it might be wise to construct another activity with Holly, before she got bored. Artemis had never spent any leisure time with a female before, with the exception of his mother. He realized spending time with females other than his mother were two very different things. He tried thinking very logically about the whole situation. _Maybe she would like to see a movie?_ Thought Artemis. He then began to wonder what movies she would like. He tried to think if there was any particular genre she liked. Suddenly, a part of his brain he had never heard from before had awaken, and placed the words _Why don't you ask her?_ in his head. He wondered where this thought came from, and he generally didn't trust unknown parts of his brain. However, he realized this idea wasn't too far off, so he decided to proceed with it.

"So..." began Artemis.

"So..." Holly continued.

"So, I'm thinking that we should watch a movie. Is there any particular genre that you find amusing?" Asked Artemis. He realized he needs to be more casual when he's with girls.

"Well, as long as we're watching _something, _I'm up for anything, really," claimed Holly. Artemis felt relieved. He felt as though he was really connecting with her. Holly felt the same. She felt slightly embarrassed to admit she liked Artemis, and it was amusing to watch him _try_ to flirt. Artemis immediately realized in his mind that if he wanted to be casual, he might as well pick a casual movie.

"Hmm... How does _Detroit Rock City_ sound?" asked Artemis. As these events progressed, the thought that this isn't actually happening grew bigger and bigger in Artemis' mind. He would have to see how events played out. It all seemed to be jumping in and out of reality.

"Sure! I think I've heard about that actually, something about kids wanted to go to a concert?" Asked Holly. Artemis confirmed that by nodding his head. He threw the wrapping of his and Holly's sub out.

"C'mon," beckoned Artemis.

He lead Holly into the living room. In it was a large display with several of the latest high tech media playback devices known to man. Man except Artemis Fowl II, that is. There was a large 100" LCD HDTV in there as well, with an A/V system designed specifically to emburse the viewer in the surroundings of the environment any of the media was set in. More popular with Video Games, however. He was ready to begin playing the movie, however Beckett and Myles were currently occupying the television. One would think that 3 year olds such as the Fowl twins would be watching kid's programs such as _Barney_. However, these were Fowl kids. They were watching a lecture on the theory of relativity. Artemis had told them that he would be quizzing them on the subject in the near future, and that they should prepare for him. Artemis felt as though they needed their studying, so he proceeded to select the DVD from the large wall filled with a wide variety of movies. He lead Holly out of the living room, as Beckett and Myles had not met her before, and he didn't want them to start asking questions. However, Fowl's were generally more observant than one would think.

"Artemis, who dat?" Questioned Beckett. _D'Arvit! _Thought Artemis, borrowing the Gnommish curse word. Artemis knew he had to think quick, so he tried betting on the odds that since he was merely 3, his mind would be gullible enough to not have any real suspicions of the 3 foot tall Elf.

"That is a girl," started Artemis. "And she's a good friend of mine."

"Why she so short?" Asked Myles.

"She uh... has pituitary dwarfism. Had you been researching medical diseases like I asked you, you would have known that." Stated Artemis.

"Then why her arms not stubby?" Inquired Beckett.

"And why her ears pointy?" Questioned Myles. Artemis rubbed the thick line in his brow with his thumb and forefinger.

"She's a special case, she looks like a fully grown adult, just smaller. And she was wearing a costume to fool her friends." Explained Artemis.

"Why she here?" Asked Myles. Artemis hated children. So damn curious.

"She's visiting! We're going to watch a movie together!" Explained Artemis.

"Okay!" Exclaimed Beckett and Myles in unison. Artemis breathed a sigh of relief.

"C'mon, Holly." He whispered, as he lead her up the stairs towards his room. He was greatful that he didn't have to have yet another Fowl be aware of the existence of Fairy species. He was worried someone might get greedy and want a large sum of gold, again. Holly thought it was cute the way Artemis handled his little brothers. They continued up the stairs, and it branched off to a long hallway. Artemis opened a set of doors, and it lead into a very large room. Inside, there was a very large King sized bed, that looked like it hadn't been used recently, a large plasma screen HDTV with a computer, a gaming system (Xbox 360, as Holly identified it), and a Blu-Ray player hooked up to it. There was a large walk in closet to the left of the door, filled with Armani suits. There was not a single set of casual clothes in there. When Artemis walked by, he tried to imagine what a pair of jeans and T-shirt would look like in there. The sheer thought of it made him shudder. He couldn't stand casual clothing. He liked to be unique. Many people tried making friends with Artemis at school, yet, he was very independent and liked to be on his own. Not necessarily isolate himself from everyone else, but rather stand out among them. He _hated_ clothes with writing on them. He remembered the early years of his life, back when he wore casual clothes. He wondered how he made it through life without suits. He then swore he could have heard a far off Barney Stinson salute him. _Wait... Barney Stinson? Since when do I watch How I Met Your Mother? _It was all seeming more and more like a Dream as Artemis progressed.


	6. Dream On 2: Revenge of the Dream

**Chapter 6 - Dream On 2: **_**Revenge of the Dream**_

Artemis and Holly sat on the edge of his bed, watching the movie. Had a spectator been paying close attention to the two, they would realize that neither of them were all that focused on the movie, but rather how to act. They were focused on what to do next. Although there was unspoken mutual consent that their time spent together on this particular day was considered casual, and not romantic in any way, they both had mutual feelings for each other, yet unaware of the existence of said feelings within the other. Artemis was especially concerned, as he had never been romantically linked to anyone before. He had never been on a date, and he wasn't quite sure what would please a woman. Holly, on the other hand, had never been on a date with a Human before, so she too, was particularily worried. Artemis was very focused on looking at the whole situation through a logical and psychological prospective. He analyzed the situation, and looked over what would be considered appropriate. He was trying to decide if there was anything he could do to possibly progress the situation, as he realized that this movie served as a stopwatch. _As soon as this movie is over, there's no chance of this happening_. He knew how long the movie was, and saw the time on the Blu-Ray player say 39:25. He had roughly an hour left to make his move. While Artemis was caught up overanalyzing the whole situation, Holly was thinking on her feet, having _some_ sort of experience in this field. She proceeded to lift her legs, so that they were at waist level, and slide back on Artemis' bed, until she was at the headboard. She knew this would make Artemis curious as to what she was doing, and she was right.

"What exactly are you doing?" Asked Artemis. _The tables have turned! I guess I'm the genius tonight!_ Thought Holly. Artemis then realized he sounded a little too authoritarian for a date.

"Just getting a little comfortable," stated Holly seductively, without overdoing it. "Besides, it gives me a better view of the movie." Artemis began to silently analyze what her actions could suggest, and what he should do about them. He realized exactly what he was doing wrong. He cleared his mind, and he slid back on his bed right beside Holly, knowing he had to say something so it wouldn't seem like he was just following her like a lapdog.

"Well, I'll just have to see for myself," started Artemis, knowing very well how perspective worked. "You're right! It does look better!" Exclaimed Artemis. They continued watching the movie like that for roughly 20 minutes, before Artemis realized time was ticking, and he had to do something to progress the situation. He wasn't too sure, and he started sweating nervously. Suddenly, an idea hatched in the gigantic ego of his. He began to take off his blazer, when Holly took notice. She initially suspected him of thinking that they were jumping right into sex. After all, he has _never_ been on a date before. She had to confront him.

"Arty... What are you doing?" Inquired Holly. Artemis smirked, knowing she fell right for the set up.

"It's pretty hot in here," stated Artemis as he removed his tie. "And I figured I'm not exactly going anywhere, so I might as well take off any _excess_ clothing that could be a potential contributing factor to my body temperature rising." Holly was surprised. _He's not doing too bad for his first time_. She began to take off her boots, and unzip the forearm and leg area of her LEP suit. In laymen's terms, she looked like she was wearing booty shorts and a T-shirt.

"I guess you're right! I might as well do the same," stated Holly. Artemis gazed at her legs, admiring them in his newfound pubescent ways. He stared at her thighs, looking on them, considering them perfection in his eyes. He couldn't lose focus, he had to stay committed. He began unbuttoning his dress shirt.

"This dress shirt isn't exactly necessary either," chuckled Artemis. He threw the shirt in a pile he had started with the rest of the clothes. Something Artemis isn't exactly known for. He was wearing a wife beater underneath the dress shirt, and he was now wearing that along with his dresspants. Artemis looked at her again, surveying her legs - the most exposed part of her body. _They're perfect..._ Holly glanced at Artemis. He knew she saw him, and immediately averted his eyes. He remained perfectly calm and didn't panic, although he suspected she caught him eyeing her up. Instead, Holly actually noticed the expanding tent being created in his pants. She let out a giggle. Artemis noticed. He realized it wasn't about him looking her up. He looked down and saw it himself as well. There it was. Pitching a tent like it was a campout in the middle of the summer. Immediately his face was flushed red with embarrassment. He didn't want to, but he turned his head, looked Holly dead in the eyes, and gave her an embarrassed smile.

"I... I am so... I don't even..." he struggled to find the words to explain himself. He just couldn't find them. He convinced himself it was over, and that he blew his shot. He was so livid, he began blaming his dress pants. _I might just purchase a pair of jeans_. He looked at Holly again. His mismatched eyes met hers, and they both gazed into each other. Artemis still embarrassed, expecting her to let him down, accepted defeat, and let his guard down. Holly looked into his eyes, and realized she couldn't hold her love for him any longer. There was no other time. She violently leaned in towards him, pulling his face to meet hers, and began kissing him. Artemis was completely startled. He didn't have a single thought in his mind that this would happen after what just took place. He followed by cupping her face with his hands. They both pulled away for moment, so they could get a bit of air.

"Is... this really happening?" Asked Artemis through a smile. He could feel his heartbeat. It accelerated. Not in a way that shows guilt, but rather a moment of utter happiness. That his Dreams were coming true. Holly met his smile.

"I guess it is," she chuckled. She had a very similar smile and heartbeat.

They continued to kiss, only now twisting their tongues around each other's. _Beth_ by Kiss was playing in the background. Artemis realized the Irony, and had to fight extremely hard to stifle a laugh. He held it in, but reserved the moment for later. They pulled away. Artemis took off his wife beater and threw it in the pile with the rest of the clothes. Holly began to unzip herself, and Artemis watched as the zipper made its way down the middle of her suit. He felt as though the moment was happening in slow motion. She removed the suit, leaving only a bra and panties on her person. She pushed Artemis, and he fell back onto the bed. She climbed on top of him, and began to undo his belt buckle. She decided to remove his clothes one at a time. She threw the belt in Artemis' trademark pile. She undid the clip on his dress pants, and slowly pulled down his zipper. Artemis helped her by physically removing his pants, and she threw them behind her without looking. She saw what kind of boxers he was wearing.

"_Guitar Hero?_" Laughed Holly. Artemis' face grew flush with embarrassment once again.

"It's a fun game..." Stated Artemis. Holly chuckled and shot him a seductive smile.

"Well I think _Guitar Hero's_ hot!" Said Holly seductively, not knowing what the Hell _Guitar Hero_ was. There was still a massive tent showing. It was, in fact, bigger now that his pants were removed. Holly began to pull down his boxers. She did it very slowly, as she wanted to preserve the moment. At the same time, Artemis began working the hooks on the back of her bra. What was supporting Artemis' trouser tent was now clearly visible, and standing tall.

"Oh my!" Holly gasped. The average fairy penis was roughly 3-4 inches. Artemis' was about 6 and half, as he wasn't all that far into puberty. This isn't all that big for Humans, but it was considered gigantic for fairies. Artemis removed Holly's bra, curious to see her breasts for the first time. They were nearly size C, which was considered above average for Humans. Artemis stared at her boobs.

"Oh my God..." Stated Artemis. They could have just stared at each other's privates for hours on end... But that wouldn't make a good story, now would it? Holly, afraid to touch it, timidly placed one hand around his penis. It was rock hard. Definitely at full extent. It was so hard, she wondered how there was enough blood left for the Mud Boy to think. She didn't want to wait. She attempted to wrap her mouth around it, which wasn't too hard. She began to move up and down, doing everything that would normally ocur during Oral sex. Artemis was extremely curious to know what her breast felt like. He had never touched one before, and the curiosity was simply _killing_ him. He placed his right hand on her left breast. _Oh God... It feels so good! I've never touched one before!_ Holly backed off for a moment, to get a breath of air. She decided to do something that she was sure to please Artemis. She turned around, bent over a little bit, and began to slowly take off her panties. Artemis watched as she exposed more and more of herself. He couldn't wait. She couldn't wait. It couldn't be held in any longer. Artemis grabbed her by the hips and pulled her in. She turned around, facing him. She was standing on her knees, and she positioned herself right over his cock. She slowly descended, worrying if his penis would actually fit. Slowly, it entered her. She let out a small gasp. She began to slowly descend herself more, until she was all the way down. She was surprised it managed to go in that far. She began to move up and down, doing all of the work. Artemis gazed in amazement. He watched as she bounced up and down, as her breasts moved with her. He looked at her face. She looked down at him, and smiled. She continued to go up and down on it, until neither her nor Artemis could suppress their desires any longer.

"I'm cumming!" She whispered estatically, knowing well that Beckett and Myles were downstairs, preventing any unwanted attention. Artemis smiled.

"Me too," he gasped. She bounced up and down until they exploded simultaneously. They both began gasping for air. Holly lost her control, and fell off of Artemis, and rolled beside him. They both layed there, gasping for air. Artemis sat up, and slid back so his back was against the headboard. He helped Holly sit up, and pulled her into him, and he kissed her.

They continued to watch the movie, naked underneath the blankets, cuddled close to each other, until the movie was over. Artemis and Holly turned to face each other. They both smiled, and chuckled. Artemis met her mismatched eyes. _She's perfect... She's my perfect girl..._ He was so happy, he wished this moment never ended. He began to kiss her passionately, so glad that he was finally able to truly express his feelings for Holly. Suddenly, the silent sound of an alarm clock going off could be heard. Artemis pulled away.

"Did you hear that?" Abruptly asked Artemis. Holly had no clue what he was talking about.

"Hear what?" Asked Holly. The beeping was getting progressively louder. Artemis knew that no alarm clocks were set to go off in the evening around Fowl Manor. He knew something was up.

"That beeping... Something's wrong here." He began to search his room, desperately looking for the cause of the sound. It was now extremely loud. He couldn't find it, and in a fit of rage, he punched a hole through his wall.

Artemis Fowl II then woke up.


	7. I Dreamed a Little Dream

**Chapter 7 - I Dreamed a Little Dream**

Artemis Fowl stared at his ceiling. The annoyingly loud sound of an alarm clock filled the room. Artemis turned on his side to see the time. _6:00 AM_. This was Artemis' routine wake up time. He reached over and de-activated the alarm. He turned onto his back, to continue staring at the ceiling. He lay in his bed, in which just moments ago, he was absolutely sure he just made love to Holly. It made sense that the whole thing was a Dream. He sat up straight, and rubbed his eyes. It seemed unreal, but he had hoped that this Dream in particular never had to end. He slid off the bed, and walked into the bathroom. He stopped at the mirror, and gazed into his reflection. A disheveled and disappointed man stared back. He turned on the cold water tap in his sink and splashed some water in his face. He turned off the tap, and resumed looking at himself in the mirror. He was still awake. He threw his face into his hands, and began to fight back tears. Artemis wasn't happy.

Recently, Artemis had been acting differently. He had been seeing things through a perspective entirely foreign to him. Butler noticed he sometimes counted his steps. He also seemed to be fond of the number 5. Butler suspected puberty was the cause for this. Artemis wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to cry - he just did. He knew he wasn't acting like himself. He decided to go over everything he could remember from the Dream. This sometimes comforted him.

_Let's see... I'm still 14, for another two weeks anyways. Juliet's unaware of the fairy's existence as she has not recovered from the mindwipe, as far as I know. I doubt I would call a meeting simply to announce that I have started exercising more. I wouldn't be in the Gym lifting weights without Butler there. Bad Romance would __**not**__ be playing in my Gym. I don't like fast food. Holly's a vegetarian. I found the movie 'Detroit Rock City' to be not of my taste and to be more for the teenage Kiss fan audience. Most importantly, I don't have feelings for Holly... Do I?_

Artemis wasn't sure how he felt for Captain Short, as she had been a friend to him for quite some time. It may have been the puberty taking control of his mind, but he couldn't help but feel attracted to Holly. It was because of Holly that he had changed his criminal ways. It was because of her that he could trust people more. Recently, however, he felt as though his trust for people was gradually disintegrating. He recently also developed some sort of guilt complex, perhaps for not forgiving himself for his criminal ways, and for lying to his good friend in the recent months. Still, his uncertainty of feelings towards the Elf kept bothering him. He looked into the mirror, and met his own mismatched eyes. Whatever feelings he may have for Holly, he knew he wouldn't be able to act on them - not at least until he was sure he had feelings for her, and after he launched _THE PROJECT_. This time, Artemis Fowl II was focused on saving the World.

Artemis walked back into his room, and decided to get changed. He took off his robe, leaving him standing in his boxers, a pair of socks, and wearing a necklace he had made years back with a very special coin a very special friend had given to him. He brought the coin to his face, and studied it. He looked at the hole in the middle. _You keep it, to remind you. To remind you that deep beneath the layers of deviousness, you have a spark of decency. Perhaps you could blow on that spark occasionally._

He remembers those words to this day, determined to blow on that spark. He looked down at his flabby body. _Perhaps modifying my work out routine is not such a bad idea. A little more than horseback riding is needed to fix this._

Artemis sat at a desk, fully suited. He held the coin in one hand, and placed it down on the surface of the desk. He then removed a ring on his finger - a ring that he used to communicate with Holly. In this instance, he decided he would use it as a video diary. He set the ring down so it was facing him. All these newfound feelings were driving him insane. He pushed a button that initiated the recording on the ring. Before he said anything, he knew he couldn't get too personal, in case someone got a hold of the ring. Unsure of what to say, he picks up the coin and holds it in between his thumb and index finger, which is techinically his middle finger. He studied it for a moment, then realizing he was being recorded, slammed the coin down on the desk. He picked it back up and tried spinning it. It didn't work. For some odd reason, he couldn't leave the coin alone. It was frustrating him.

"People called me a boy genius. A wunderkind. Perhaps I was a prodigy. But I will be fifteen soon and too old for that label. So what am I then? A teenage criminal mastermind perhaps. Or just a common thief. Who can a thief trust? There were a few I thought. But could I have been wrong? Is that possible?"

The sheer thought of possibly being wrong disgusted Artemis. He tapped the coin against the desk a couple times. Four, to be exact. This worried him, so without stopping, he tapped the coin 16 more times on the desk. _Multiples of four. Four sounds like the word for 'death' in Chinese._ Although 16 was a multiple of 4, it added up to 20, which was a multiple of 5 - Artemis' new lucky number. He rubbed the deep line between his brows in frustration.

"I thought I knew everything. Now I think I know too much. This new knowledge, these complications are taking me over. Soon they will drive my very speech pattern."

Artemis tapped the coin on the desk 20 times again. He then terminated the video recording sequence. He buried his face in his hands, and took several deep breaths. There was so much going on for Artemis. He was seeing people in a different light, in more ways than one. He put the ring back on his finger, and stood up. He walked away from the desk to begin working on _THE PROJECT_. Within those two weeks that lead up to his birthday, Artemis began training with Butler more, and grew less and less trusting of the people who were close to him. His obsessiveness got worse, forced him to see numbers all around him and lose trust in himself. He planned on revealing _THE PROJECT_ to his fairy friends on his birthday.

**THE END**


End file.
